The 2008 final of the Championships, Wimbledon was one of the classic matches in tennis. Two of the best players in the world, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, took Centre Court and it was history in the making - either Federer would break Bjorn Borg's record of five Wimbledon championships in a row or Nadal would become the first man since Borg to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in one year.

It wasn't enough that it was a historic moment, both men were also at their peak, playing incredible tennis. Sports writer L. Jon Wertheim breaks down the match, describing key points, and discusses both men's backgrounds and styles of play. As a tennis fan, I remembered watching the match and how tense it was for me, and it was fun to revisit it as well as learning more about both players. The writing really detracted from my enjoyment, however. Sometimes Wertheim uses the oddest descriptions, such as comparing Nadal's biceps to yule logs, and at other time words seem to fail him so he describes something as "damn good" or "a hell of a point," which just struck me as bad writing when he couldn't think of anything else more descriptive. The other irritant was that he seemed to be more in Nadal's camp, usually describing as an Everyman or a journeyman who's just one of the guys, while Federer is described in less glowing terms as kind of above all that. I tried to remember that I had about two years of future knowledge, and that the book itself - at least when it came to tennis statistics - was out of date almost as soon as it was published, but as a Federer fan myself it was a little hard to get past that. If you're a tennis fan looking for more on the Federer-Nadal rivalry, I would recommend this book, but for most I would point to Levels of the Game by John McPhee instead. ( )

I am a big tennis fan, and more importantly, a big Roger Federer fan. This was the best tennis match ever played, and even though the result was not what I wanted, I needed to read this book.

This book is not any normal sports book. Nearly every shot in the whole match is discussed. L. Jon Wertheim takes the story of this match and then opens a bubble around it. He discusses the stories leading up to the match, the players background, even the story of the chair umpire. He goes into detail about the playing style of the players. He discusses the player's equipment and even discussed tennis equipment's change over time. He spends a surprisingly long amount of time talking about betting in tennis. I had no idea how large the operation is, and it turns out that the bets on this match were record highs. Online betting has increased tennis' ability to be bet on.

The point of this book is to give a detailed account of the greatest tennis match ever played. Man did he give it justice. The in-depth analysis of every major point. The book does contain a ton of information about the final two sets and may shortchange the first three. After reading the book, I still do not know who Wertheim wanted to win the match. He gives praise to both players. Their individual stories are both highly motivating and are a good story for anyone who is looking for a story about two men who gave their all. By no means is this the most difficult book to read, but it is not a poorly written one either.

This book is a must read for anyone who really likes tennis. This book will not disappoint. ( )

I have never read a book about sports or a sporting event. A peer gave this to me so I decided to give it a try. It was an interesting, easy read which gave me a good insight into the lives of these two players not simply a play by play account of the match.
I really enjoyed it. ( )

Fantastic book from start to finish and just as exciting as the 2008 championship that it is based on. Wertheim is a great sports writer and weaves the story beautifully with other interesting information about the 2 players, changes in the sport and equipment throughout the years and other things such as PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) and on line sports betting. I could not put the book down, but I must admit the I am a tennis nut. But sports nut or I, you will enjoy the book. ( )

The 2008 Nadal-Federer Wimbledon tennis final was, clearly, the greatest tennis match ever played. (Well, until, arguably, this years' 2009 Roddick-Federer final, but forget about that for a moment.) OK, don't forget about it (Roddick played the match of his life and didn't deserve to lose), but consider that Nadal-Federer was less about pure power and more about compelling theater and exquisite shot making. Here were two competitors who made the other raise his game to unbelievable heights just to win a point.

Jon Wertheim offers an amazing commentary on the match itself, interspersed with biographical details, that itself lends tension and excitement to the book. My only gripe is I think Wertheim gives short shrift to two back-to-back shots that were the best two shots I have ever seen in a lifetime of playing tennis. (I got the video of the match from my kids for Father's Day this year, so I have watched these two shots over and over.) It was tied 7-7 in the fourth set tie-breaker. Federer runs around and hits one of his trademark inside-out forehands into the far corner. A winner against every other player in the tournament. Nadal, on a full out run, catches up to it an hits a wicked, twisting forehand down the line in the only part of the court Federer can't cover. You hear the audible scream from Federer as the ball goes dipping by him. Then, on Championship point, Nadal serves out wide for Federer's backhand, gets the short ball he expects, and whips a forehand that pulls Federer off the court on his backhand side. Federer then unleashes the best backhand down-the-line shot I believe I will ever see, into the very corner of the court. The target must have been about a foot square, on Championship point. What courage! I'm quite sure I'll see that shot to my dying day.

Anyway, if you are a tennis fan, read this book. I guarantee you will enjoy it. ( )